1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus configured to communicate with another image processing apparatus via a communication medium and a control method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a digital multifunction peripheral (MFP) has been widely used in a business environment. Such a digital MFP includes various functions such as a copy function, a print function, a scan function, a send function for sending digital image data obtained by scanning to another apparatus via facsimile transmission or e-mail, and a function for storing a digitized document in a storage device, which is internally or externally provided to the digital MFP, as an electronic document.
Various complicated parameters can be set for each of the above-described functions and the functions are performed after making various settings thereto. However, it is inconvenient, in terms of user operability, to perform such complicated settings every time a user operates a digital MFP. In this regard, a conventional digital MFP has a function for performing predetermined settings combined as a group, which can improve user operability.
In addition, a setting, so-called “work flow”, which performs functions having various settings in combination, can be defined and set to a digital MFP.
For example, a digital MFP can perform the following operation. First, a digital MFP copies a paper document in a desired number. Then, the digital MFP converts resolution of an electronic document (document image data) obtained by scanning the paper document into predetermined low resolution so that security can be ensured. Then, the digital MFP sends the electronic document having low resolution to a predetermined sending destination by e-mail. Furthermore, the digital MFP notifies to the sending destination that the document has been copied. Moreover, the digital MFP stores the electronic document having an original resolution in a storage device provided within the digital MFP. In addition, the digital MFP performs a security setting so that the stored electronic document can be accessed only by an authorized user. In performing the above-described operations, it is necessary for a user to perform a large number of complicated settings and operations.
A unified pattern of such operations is generally called a “work flow”. A user can easily perform a large number of operations by simply issuing an instruction for performing one work flow.
It is more useful and convenient for a user if a user can perform a work flow not only on one digital MFP but also on a plurality of digital MFPs.
This configuration can be useful in a large-sized office in which a plurality of digital MFPs, each having the same functions, is installed.
In a conventional method for executing the same work flow in a plurality of digital MFPs, a work flow defined in one digital MFP is acquired as a file, and then the acquired work flow is input (exported) into another digital MFP, so that the receiving digital MFP can perform the received work flow.
With such a conventional method, the same work flow can be performed in a plurality of digital MFPs. Thus, the user operability can be improved.
In executing the same work flow in a plurality of digital MFPs, it may be important to secure a sufficient level of security in the case of storing image data of a scanned document in a storage device provided in a digital MFP.
The security problem will be described in more detail below.
Suppose that a work flow F defined by a digital MFP M includes a flow for storing an electronic document generated by scanning a paper document in a storage area A of a storage device provided internally in the digital MFP M.
Furthermore, an access control is applied to the storage area A. As an example of the access control, a password is set to the storage area A. Thus, the storage area A is protected by a password, and data can be written in and read from the storage area A only by a user who knows the password.
The user who defines a work flow F is supposed to know that the password is set to the storage area in defining a setting for a series of operations. This is because a user defines a plurality of operations performed by the user in a work flow, and thus the user defines a setting that the user him/herself desires.
The user who performs the work flow F exports a work flow N to another digital MFP N and performs the fork flow N on the digital MFP N.
As described above, a work flow for storing in the storage area A the electronic document (image data) generated based on the scanned paper document has been defined as the work flow F. Accordingly, in executing the work flow F on the digital MFP N, the digital MFP N stores the electronic document in the storage area A of the storage device provided in the digital MFP N.
Here, each of the digital MFPs internally includes a storage device, and thus has a storage area to which the same name or identifier is previously set. This is because it is inconvenient for a user to set a name of a storage area to perform a scanning operation, and thus it is more useful that each of the digital MFPs has a storage area having a previously set name such as “A”, “B”, “C”, or “Z”.
In the above-described conventional method, the work flow F is performed and the electronic document is stored in the storage area A. Here, the storage area has the same name “storage area A”, but the storage area A of the digital MFP M and the storage area A of the digital MFP N are different storage areas. Thus, even if the storage area A of the digital MFP M has been protected by a password, the storage area A of the digital MFP N may not be protected in the same way.
Accordingly, if the storage area A of the digital MFP N is not protected by a password, the user who performs the work flow F on the digital MFP N may store the document data without noticing that the storage area A is not protected by a password.
This is because in the case where an electronic document is stored in a storage area of a storage device in a digital MFP, a password may not be checked even when a password has been set to the storage area.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-271562 discusses a method for storing an electronic document in a storage device while securing sufficient security and user operability by using a work flow. In the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-271562, in executing a work flow, a work flow execution unit determines that the user has a right to perform the work flow using a document only if a user has an access right to the document stored in a storage area. On the other hand, if a user does not have an access right to the document stored in a storage area, the work flow execution unit determines that the user does not have a right to access a document stored in a storage area.
However, as described above, in the case where a storage area is not protected by a password and thus any user can access the storage area, if a user performs a work flow for storing a document in the storage area without any authentication, the following problem may occur.
That is, an electronic document can be stored in a storage area where a specific setting (e.g., setting of a password) has not been registered or has been registered, contrary to an intention of a user having defined the work flow or a user desiring to perform the work flow.